#tom animorphs

[rachel's POV]

Rachel. He'd sent Rachel.

Smart kid, my brother was. Rachel was the only one that would understand what had to happen. She'd understand what she needed to do. She'd always been the most blunt and practical one at the kid's table, after all. 'Tough' was the only kind of love she knew.

I was proud of both of them, in a way. My only regret is that I never got to thank them, never got to ruffle their hair and call them names for the last time. (I couldn't regret my helplessness. If I did, I'd have driven myself mad a long time ago.)

Iniss never paid much mind to Rachel at family gatherings, so she looked older than I remembered. The weight of the world was visible on her shoulders, and she carried it like pauldrons. I didn't want to think about how she got that way.

I had been keeping all my strength in reserve, concealing my intentions from my captor, saving it for a moment when it really mattered. And this mattered. I'd help my cousin in the only way I could.

Rachel lunged, her jaws snapping an inch from cobra muscle. The long, cylindrical body twisted to dodge her. The sensation was distant and strange. Iniss was piloting a body I'd never known, and all I could do was watch. And feel.

The battle surged. She defended herself with unsettling ease. I waited with practiced patience. Then -- a chance! She was close, and he was about to dodge again, but--

Now!

I used all my willpower to try and wrest control of the body. I couldn't do it, of course. Iniss was experienced with unruly hosts, and I didn't know how to work this thing, anyway.

But it was a distraction. A moment's lapse in his total, utter control of me.

Just enough.

Grizzly fangs pierced our skin, nearly cleaving us in two. The pain was blinding. The injury was fatal.

Rachel and Jake are literally SO similar. Both of them fulfill roles that destroy them physically and mentally, but they do it to protect the rest of the group. Neither of them wanted this. Jake hated being leader, making hard calls and life and death decisions, but he knew it was necessary. Good, even, if it kept his friends safe, if it saved his family.

Rachel never wanted to be the group’s assassin. Yes, she enjoyed the rush of violence, maybe even it itself, but she never wanted to be known for it. She never wanted people to look to her for it. But she knew it was necessary. Good, even, if it kept her friends safe, if it saved her family.

Because someone has too, right? So it might as well be them, because at least they can handle it. The world was thrust upon their shoulders, but they gladly held it. Even if it crushed them.

Even if it killed them.

All the Berensons died in the end. Rachel and Tom literally, but Jake too, and their families. How could they be the same after that sacrifice? But they had to do it.

We all met at Cassie's barn. And I used her dad's cell phone to call Tom at home. I went partly into a wolf morph before I did. Just enough to make the smallest changes. p. 152

HER DAD'S CELL PHONE!

Great job kids, the Yeerks now know a number to call! And that phone can easily be linked to one of your families! Doesn't matter that you hid your voice, Jake, I think caller id was a thing. And Cassie's family's numbers are probably in your family's phonebook because you hang out with her a lot.

I assume in the original print it was a pay phone. Just since they worked very hard to use things to not link back to their families and homes when they could. A pay phone would make sense. Not a family member's cell phone.